Notching attachment for wire-winding machines.



G. W. STANGLIFF.

HMENT FOR WIRE WINDING MACHINES.

L ED 00T.1,1907.

NOTGHING A T IUATION I'IL Patented June 7,1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

G. W. ST'ANGLIPP.

NOTCHING ATTACHMENT FOR WIRE WINDING MAOEINES.

APPLIOATION FILED OOT. 1, 1907.

961,038. Patented June '7, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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q vitmeooeo G. W. STANOLIFF. NOTGHING ATTACHMENT FOR WIRE WINDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 1, 1907. Patented June 7, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEBT a.

wnnmgb W Z flip I 1 I/T G. W. STANCLIFF. NOTGHING ATTACHMENT FOR WIRE WINDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 1, 1907. 961,038. Patented June 7, 1910.

4 SHEBTS-SHEET 4.

GEORGE W. STANCLIFF, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR T0 STANCLIFF WELL SCREEN AND MFG. COMPANY, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

NOTGHING ATTACHMENT FOR WIRE-WINDING MACHINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE WV. STAN- CLIFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Houston, in the county of Harris and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Notching Attachment for l/Vire- Winding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improve ments in notching attachments for wire winding machines, being designed more particularly for use in connection with a wire winding machine such as shown and described in my Letters Patent No. 854,541, granted May 21, 1907, which'machine is intended for the manufacture of well screens of the type shown and described in my Letters Patent No. 857,313, granted June 18, 1907, and also in my Letters Patent No. 772,843, granted October 18, 1904.

The object of the present invention is to provide a means for the formation of notches for receiving a wire in the radial spacing ribs which are disposed longitudinally of the tube forming the body ofthe well screen.

The well screens comprise, generally speaking, a perforated tubular body having disposed longitudinally thereon equallyspaced radially-projecting ribs, generally though not necessarily, triangular in cross section with the base resting on the outer surface of the perforated tube, and wound about the tube helically is a layer of wire the strands of which are spaced sufliciently to permit fluid exterior to the tube to pass between the same and through the perforations in the body of the tube to the interior thereof.

In the machine shown in my aforesaid Letters Patent there is provided a carriage which is fed slowly along the tube while the latter is rotated, and from this carriage the wire is fed to the tube and wound thereon, suitable chisels being used to form the notches progressively along the ribs in a helical )lane.

By tie present invention a rotary cutter is held in proper operative relation to the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 1, 1907.

Serial No. 395,364.

ribs, and as the carriage is fed along this cutter travels with the carriage and thereby produces the notches in the ribs in which the wire is subsequently laid in the form of a closely wound helix, the strands of which are, however, slightly separated, depending upon the pitch and depth of the grooves.

In accordance with the present invention there is mounted upon the wire winding carriage a structure which surrounds the body of the screen and acts upon the same in advance of the wire feeding mechanism, and this structure is so made that each rib is in turn presented to a rotary cutting tool or wheel which forms the appropriate groove in the rib, the grooves being formed transversely with respect to the ribs and in constant progression therein, so that the relative path of the cutting wheel about a screen frame is that of a helix.

The invention also comprises means for supporting the body of the screen while being wound with wire, so that any lack of trueness of said body will not cause vibrations. For this purpose there is provided what I may term a steady-rest supporting the screen body near one end, while the other end of the screen body is carried by a suitable chuck which is used to grasp one end of the screen body and impart rotative movement thereto. The other end of the screen body is free of support except that furnished by the steadyrest, and any crookedness in the this structure.

The invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in which,

Figure 1 is a side View of the improved attachment; Fig. 2 is a top view of the same, showing a portion of one of the screen bodies in position, the latter being shown partly in section and partly broken away; Fig. 3 is a detail view of a spacing ring used in connection with the structure; Fig. 4; is a plan view of the steady-rest and adjacent parts; Fig. 5 is a side elevation thereof,

pipe is compensated for by Patented June '7, 1910.

showing the screen body in section; Fig. 6 is a plan view, partly broken away, of a winding machine, in cotiperative relation. Fig. 7 is a plan View of a notching head differing somewhat in construction from that shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a view illustrating the starting uide for the structure shown in Fig. 7; an Fig. 10 is an end view of the said guide.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a carriage 1 terminating at the ends in inverted V-shaped flanges 28 adapted to inverted V-shaped ways 29 earned on the frame 30 of the machine, which may be in the form of an ordinary lathe-bed. The carriage supports a wire-winding mechanism and it is also provided with means for forming notches in the longitudinal ribs. Connected to this carriage by a link 2 is an arm 3 terminatin at the end remote from its connection wit the link 2 in an annular frame 4. One portion 5 of this frame is formed in one piece with the arm 3, while the other portion 6 of this frame, and constituting about one-half of the same, is hinged to the portion 5 by a hinge pivot 7, and is removably secured at the other end to a fixed portion of the frame by a locking pin 8, so that about one-half of the annular frame may be turned on the pivot 7 away from the fixed half thereof. The frame 4 is provided with three equidistant radial slots 9, disposed ninety degrees apart, and opposite the arm 3 the frame 4 is provided with a radial recess 10, so that the slots 9 and recess 10 are all equally disposed about the circumference of the frame 4. Extending laterally through the walls on each side of the slots 9 are perforations 11 in which are seated journal boxes 12 carrying journals 15 of rollers 14, which rollers have in their peripheries radial recesses 15, disposed apart at distances equal to the separation of the ribs on the screen frame to be wound. Passing through the walls of the frame 4 coincident with the recess 10 are also slots 11 in which are located journal boxes 12 carrying the journals 13 of a wheel 16 having a peripheral cutting edge 17 after the manner of the wheels usually employed as pipe cutting tools.

The frame 4 is designed to embrace the frame of a well screen, which frame is shown in the drawing as composed of a cylinder 18 through which are series of perforations 19 and on the exterior of which are longitudinal radially-projecting ribs 20 flanking the longitudinal series of perforations 19. When the screen frame is in position surrounded by the frame 4 the ribs are engaged by the notches 15 in the rollers 14,

showing the several parts two of the rollers engaging the screen frame at diametrically opposite points and an intermediate roller engaging the screen frame at a point ninety degrees from the point of engagement of the other two rollers.

The journal boxes 12 are adjustable in a radial direction by means of adjusting screws 21, and the journal box 12 of the cut ter wheel 16 is also radially adjustable by means of an adjusting screw 22.

Now, the roller 14 diametrically opposed to the cutter wheel 16 holds the screen frame against this cutter wheel and the adjustment is such that the cutter wheel will enter for a predetermined distance into the radially-projecting angle of the ribs 20 as these ribs are presented to the cutter wheel, while any movement at right angles to the plane passing through the axes of the cutter wheel and its opposing roller or spacing wheel 14 is prevented by the other rollers or spacing wheels 14.

Let it be assumed that there is imparted to the screen frame 18 a movement of rotation about a longitudinal axis, while the frame 4 is fed along the screen frame concentric with such longitudinal axis but at a slower rate of travel, so that the screen frame will make one complete rotative movement while the carriage carrying the frame 4 is moved longitudinally with relation to the screen frame for a distance a little greater than the diameter of the wire used for wrapping the screen frame. Under these conditions, assuming that the cutter wheel is so adjusted that its edge enters the required distance into the projecting edge of the ribs, the cutter wheel will describe a helical series of notches in the ribs 20, about the screen frame, so long as the screen frame is given rotative movement and the frame carrying the cutter is advanced longitudinally with relation to the screen frame.

Now, as will appear from my aforesaid Letters Patent No. 854,541, a wire strand is led around the screen frame and seated in the notches formed in the ribs.

By my present invention a rotative movement of the screen frame is sufficient to cause the cutting of the notches without any other mechanism, since the pressure applied to the cutter wheel 16 is sufficient to cause the displacement of the metal in the ribs where they are engaged by said cutter wheel. And this operation is very expeditiously performed and requires less power than where complicated cutting mechanism is employed. I

In order to prevent side movement of the arm 3 and frame 4, the carriage frame 1 may have formed thereon guide bars 23 straddling the arm 3 or the frame 4 where one merges into the other.

Now, for the purpose of preventing the relative displacement of the ribs 20 upon the surface of the cylinder 18, I provide what I term a spacing ring 24, shown sepa rately in Fig. 3. This ring is formed of two like halves joined together on one side by a hinge 25-and on the other side by a joining link 26 whereby the two halves may be joined at this point by means of a screw 27 or otherwise. The interior edge of the ring is formed with a circular series of notches 28, suitably spaced and shaped to receive the ribs 20 upon the screen support. This ring is placed upon the screen frame in advance of the frame 4 and serves to maintain the ribs equally spaced apart. As the carriage moves forward along the length of the screen frame this spacing ring is pushed by the frame 4 and thus holds the ribs 20 at exact distances apart just in advance of the point where they are engaged by the spacing rollers 14 and the cutter 16.

Now, it transpires that sometimes the screen frames may be a little out of true and in such case they will describe a somewhat eccentric path about the axis of rotation. This is provided for by the link support 2 which permits the frame 4 to accommodate itself to any eccentricity of rotation of the screen frame. Movement of the frame with relation to the carriage is prevented by the guides 23. The frame 4 is made of tWo sections, one hinged to the other, so that this frame may be opened and the screen body placed therein, after which the frame may be closed and locked.

In Fig. 6 the lathe-bed 30 is shown provided with an ordinary lathe head stock 31 suitably back-geared to drive a feed screw 32 by means of which the carriage 1 is advanced along the bed, and the head stock carries a suitable chuck 33 to grasp one end of the cylinder 18 to support said end and to impart rotative movement to the cylinder. Upon the carriage 1 there is likewise provided a drive wheel 34 for directing a wire strand 35 in such manner as to seat in the notches formed in the ribs 20 as the carriage 1 is'fed along the bed of the machine.

In Figs. 4 and 5 as well as in Fig. 6

there is shown another carriage 36 terminating in V-shaped flanges 37 arranged to travel upon the V-ways 29. This carriage 36 as Well as the carriage 1 has a depressed center so as to travel along the bed below the body of the same. The sides 38 of the carriage are inclined and provided with suitable boxes 39 in which are mounted the journals of rollers 40 in the peripheries of which are formed circumferential grooves 41. The grooved rollers 40 receive a wheel 42 in the form of an annulus with a V-shaped rim 43 adapted to seat in the grooves 41 of the rollers 40. The interior of the annulus 42 is formed with a series of notches 44 so spaced and shaped as to receive the ribs 20 of the cylinder 18. The carriage 36 may be fed along the bed by the screw 32 or may be so arranged as to be held stationary after the manner of the tool carriage of a lathe, and since the ordinary mechanism for this'purpose may be used such mechanism has been omitted from the drawing.

In my aforesaid Letters Patent the cylinder 18 is shown supported at each end. In the present structure the end remote from that end carried upon the chuck 33 is unsupported except by the steady-rest composed of the annulus 42 and carriage 36 carrying the same. l/Vhen the screen body is rotated the annulus or wheel 42 participates in such rotative movement and if the carriage 36 be advanced at the same time the carriage 1 is advanced the wheel 42 will travel along the cylinder 18, being constrained to do so by the action of the grooved rollers 40. At the same time should there be any eccentricity in the cylinder 18 it will be compensated for by the annular support 42, which is loosely mounted upon the rollers 40, and by the loose mounting of the cutter carrier. By thus supporting the cylinder 18 rotative movement may be imparted to it even though its surface may be rotated somewhat eccentrically to the axis of rotation, and this is accomplished without bringing any strains upon the supporting mechanism, thus avoiding excessive vibrations.

In Figs. 7 and 8 the annular frame 4 is shown as formed in one piece with the arm 3 and not formed of two parts, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. However, this frame 4 may in the construction shown in Figs. 7 and 8, be made of two parts like that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or may be made in one piece, as desired. The frame 4, however, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 is offset from the arm 3 in the direction of the lathe head 31 and the cutting wheel 16 makes a cut slightly in advance of the forward edge of the said frame 4. With this construction the wire winding 35 is fed just in advance of the front edge of the frame 4, and as the latter is fed along the tube 18 it overrides the newly laid wire helix.

Carried by that portion of the frame 4 opposite the notching cutter 16 is a semicylindrica'l block 45 which may replace the notched wheels 14 of the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2, since the wire has already been laid upon the ribs 20 when the annular frame 4 passes along the tube 18.

In order to center the frame or annulus 4 upon the tube 18, or, more properly, upon the wrapped exterior thereof, there is opposed to the semi-cylindrical block 45 an arc-shaped bearing plate 46 to the rear side of which are fastened a number of guide rods 47 terminating in threaded ends extending through suitable perforations in the annulus 4E and exterior to the latter receiving nuts 48. A set-screw 19 engaging the plate &6 about centrally locks it in the adjusted position determined by the nuts 18. The semicylindrical block 45 engages the wrapped tube 18 on one side of its axis and the arc-shaped bearing plate 16 engages the wrapped tube on the other side of its axis, and the two curved structures therefore coact to maintain the annulus a in proper relation to the tube 18, which relation should be such that the annulus 1 will move readily along the tube 18 without binding.

In order to facilitate the adjustment of the cutting wheel 16 the adjusting screws 22 are replaced by a single feed screw 50 ex tending lengthwise through the arm 3 and bearing against the block 12 carrying the cutter 16, and this feed screw extends beyond that end of the arm 3 remote from the annulus 4L and there receives a balanced crank arm 51, such as is commonly used on lathes.

Now, since the cutter wheel 16 has its cutting edge a little in advance of the front edge of the annulus 4: and the wire is applied to the ribs 20 in front of the annulus 1, therefore the free interior diameter of the annulus 4 must be great enough to receive the tube 18 with the ribs and the wire wrapping. For this reason, when the structure is in position to begin the cutting of the notches to permit the application of the wire wrapping, the absence of any wire strands interior to the ring 4: will prevent the latter from fitting snugly and being centered upon said tube. To provide for this contingency there is applied to the tube 18 at the end grasped by the chuck 33 a split sleeve 52 having matched cars 53 secured together by screws 54. The diameter of the exterior of this sleeve is such that it just equals the exterior diameter of the tube 18 when the wire wrapping is applied thereto. The length of this sleeve is such that it will enter and extend practically throughout the length of the annulus 1. Now, when the parts are in position for starting the notching of the ribs 20 the annulus 1 is centered upon the sleeve 52 and as the wire wrapping is applied and the annulus 1 is fed forward the said annulus rides off the sleeve 52 and on to the wire wrapping without its centering on the tube 18 being disturbed. It will be understood, of course, that the sleeve 52 is applied to the tube 18 immediately adjacent to the chuck 33.

I claim 1. In a machine for winding wire upon cylindrical supports, an annular frame for surrounding the cylindrical body, a rotary cutter mounted in. said frame, means on said frame for holding the cylindrical body in operative relation to the cutter, and means for supporting the frame for universal movement in the plane of the working edge of the cutter.

2. In a machine for winding wire upon cylindrical bodies having spaced radial ribs projecting therefrom, a means for notching the ribs to receive the wire, comprising a frame for encircling the ribbed cylinder, a cutting roller or wheel on one side of said frame, and means for supporting the frame for universal movement in the plane of the working edge of the cutter.

3. In a machine for winding wire upon cylindrical bodies having spaced radial ribs projecting therefrom, a means for notching the ribs to receive the wire, comprising a frame for encircling the ribbed cylinder, ra dially adjustable means for holding the frame to the cylindrical body, and a radially adjustable cutter carried by the frame and movable into operative relation to the ribs on the ribbed cylinder.

41. In a machine for winding wire upon cylindrical bodies having spaced radial ribs projecting therefrom, a means for notching the ribs for receiving the wire, comprising a frame for encircling the ribbed cylinder, a radially adjustable rotary cutter mounted in the frame, and a link support for the frame having universal movement in the plane of the working edge of the cutter.

5. In a machine for winding wire upon cylindrical ribbed structures, a rotary cutter, a supporting frame therefor for encircling the ribbed structure, and a support for the frame remote from the end carrying the cutter, said support permitting the frame to move freely in the plane of the cutting edge of the cutter.

6. In a machine for winding wire upon a cylindrical ribbed structure, a rotary cutter, a supporting frame therefor encircling the ribbed structure, a support for the frame remote from the end carrying the cutter, said 1 support permitting the frame to move freely in the plane of the cutting edge of the cutter, a side extension or arm projecting from the frame, and a link connection between the arm and a relatively fixed point whereby the frame has universal movement in the plane of the cutting edge of the cutter.

7. In a machine for winding wire upon cylindrical supports, a steady-rest comprising a carriage movable longitudinally with reference to a cylindrical support carried by the machine, grooved rollers on said carriage, and an annulus having a periphery shaped to engage the grooves in the rollers and adapted to encircle a support, said annulus being upheld solely by the rollers.

8. In a machine for winding wire upon cylindrical supports provided with longitudinal ribs, a cutter, a carrier therefor having universal movement in the plane of the working edge of the cutter, means for engaging and imparting rotative movement to one end of the support, and a steady-rest between the cutter carrier and the other end of the cylindrical support, said steady-rest comprising an annulus adapted to encircle the cylindrical support, and upholding means for said annulus in which the latter is capable of rotative movement.

9. In a machine for winding wire upon cylindrical supports, an annular frame for surrounding the cylindrical body, means for centering said annular frame upon the cylindrical body, and a rotary cutter for producing seats for the wire to be wound upon the cylindrical support.

10. In a machine for winding wire upon cylindrical supports, an annular frame for encircling the cylindrical body and movable longitudinally with reference thereto, and a ltiutiter arranged in advance of the cylindrical 11. In a machine for winding wire upon cylindrical supports, an annular frame for encircling the cylindrical body and movable longitudinally thereof, and a cutting wheel or roller carried by said frame and positioned to act upon the cylindrical support in advance of the annular frame.

12. In a machine for winding wire upon cylindrical bodies having spaced radial ribs projecting therefrom, a frame for encircling the ribbed cylinder, means for centering the frame upon the cylindrical body after the wire has been wound thereon, and a cutter for notching the ribs to receive the wire, said cutter being located in advance of the annular frame in the direction of travel of the latter along the cylindrical body.

13. In a machine for winding wire upon cylindrical bodies having spaced radial ribs projecting therefrom, a frame for encircling the ribbed cylinder, means for centering the frame upon the cylindrical body after the wire has been wound thereon, a cutter for notching the ribs to receive the wire, said cutter being located in advance of the annular frame in the direction of travel of the latter upon the cylindrical body, and a bushing sleeve for the cylindrical body 0011- stituting an initial support for the annular frame at that end of the cylindrical body upon which the Wire is first wound.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. STANCLIFF.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR D. STANOLIFF, JOHN C. CALHOUN. 

